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-(No Model.) I 4Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. ISBELL & W. H. TAYLOR.v METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS. No. 322,608.

Patented July 21, 1885.

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(No Model.) A 4 SheetsSheet 2.

No. 322,608. Patented July %1, 1885.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3i 0. W. ISBELL & W. H. TAYLOR. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

No. 322,608. PatentedJuly 21, 1885 /Zzeaaaa: fawn/0219;

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 C. W. ISBELL & W. H. TAYLOR. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.- No. 322,608.

Patented July'Zl, 1885..

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

CHARLES \V. ISBELL AND XVILLIAM H. TAYLOR, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.-

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. ISBELL and WILLIAM H. TAYLOR, both of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Method of and Apparatus for Generating Gas, of which the following is a specification.

I Our invention relates to the method of and apparatus for making what is commonly known as water-gas, which is generated or made by decomposing steam to produce carbonic acid and hydrogen, by passing the products of decomposition through incandescent fuel,whereby they are caused to take up more carbon and are converted into carbonic oxide and hydrogen, and by combining with the products of decomposition, either before or after their passage through incandescent fuel, the 1 vapor 'of naphtha or other liquid hydrocarbon. One form of generator which has been devised or thus making gas has comprised two com- .nunicating furnaces or chambers provided with separate grates, and after the two fires have been blown up by means of an air-blast to raise them to a decomposing-heat-that is, a heat sufficient to decompose steamthe air is shut off and steam is admitted to one ofthe furnaces below or above the grate, isthere decomposed,and thence passes into the other furnace or chamber and downward through the incandescent fuel therein. After once being started the two furnaces are blown up alternately and steam is' admitted to them alternately.

In order to make a permanentilluminatinggas, the hydrocarbon vapor, which is added to the carbonic oxide and hydrogen, must be subjected to heat sufficient to fix it, and various methods and forms of apparatus have been devised for this purpose. In some forms of apparatus the mingled carbonic oxide, hy drogen, and hydrocarbon vapor, have been passed through retorts or chambers which are heated by independent fires, and which in some cases have been filled loosely with fire- .brick or other refractory material. Ve deem it most desirable, however, to fix the hydrocarbon vaporby passing the carbonic oxide,hydrogen, and vapor mingled together through incandescent fuel. In this connection we are SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 322,608, dated July 21, 1885.

' Application filed August 12, 1884.

(No model.)

aware of the Letters Patent No. 269,162, granted to H. M. and J. S. Pierson,December 12, 1882. The apparatus shown and described therein comprises two retorts or chambers in 5 5 which fuel is placed, a retort arranged between the two and containing refractory material and termed a commingler, and one or more superheaters arranged beyond the second fuel-retort and containing refractory material. These several retorts and superheaters are connected alternately at top and bottom, so that when the first fuel-retort, which is at the beginning of the series, is blown up the products of combustion therefrom pass 6 through the chambers or retorts of the whole series, and this is continued until the fuel in the second fuel-retort is heated to a condition of low incandescence. Steam is then passed through the series of chambers or retorts in the reverse direction and in-the commingler, which is between the two f uel-retorts. Hydrocarbon vapor is added to the products of decomposition, and the two are then passed downward through the fuel in the first fuel- 7 5 retort, which was blown up to heat all the other retorts or chambers, and thereby the hydrocarbon vapor is fixed and a permanent gas produced. Now, it is obvious that in the Pierson apparatus the first retort, which also 80 constitutes the fixing-chamber, cannot be blown up without affecting the heat of all the other retorts.

An important object of our invention is to enable the hydrocarbon vapor to be fixed by passing it with the gas through a bed of incandescent fuel, and to separate and so arrange the fixing-furnace that it serves no other purpose than to fix the hydrocarbon vapor, and may be blown up without affecting the generating-furnace in any way.

To this end our invention consists in an improvement in the method of making gas, said improvement consisting in decomposing steam by passing it through incandescent fuel, in 5 adding hydrocarbon vapor to the gas thus produced, in fixing the vapor by passing the commingled gas and vapor through incandescent fuel, and in maintaining the heatof the bodies of fuel by which the gas is generated and the vapor fixed by fires which are controlled independently of each other and either of which may be blown up without affecting the heat of the other.

The invention also consists in the combination, with a double-chambered generatingfurnace containing separate grates and pipes for supplying air thereto for blowing up and steam for decomposition, the two chambers of the furnace being adapted to be blown up alternately, of a fixing-furnace and pipes for supplying air for blowing up the fixing-furnace independently of and without affecting the heat of the generating-furnace, and pipes whereby the gas generated by the decomposition of steam in either chamber of the generrating-furnace, together with hydrocarbon vapor, may be conducted to and caused to pass through the fuel in the fixing-furnace.

The invention also includes a novel con1bi nation and arrangement, with the doublechambered generating-furnace and the fixingfurnace and chamber, of pipes and valves, as hereinafter described, whereby we provide for blowing up the fixing-furnace, for alternately blowing up the two fires in the generatingfurnace, for alternately supplying steam to the said fires, for adding vaporized hydrocarbon to the products of decomposition from the furnace, and for passing the mingled products of decomposition and hydrocarbon vapor through the fixing furnace and chamber. When steam is first turned into the furnace after blowing up, the decomposition is very rapid, and gas is generated in so great volume that. difficulty has been experienced in supplying the requisite quantity of hydrocarbon vapor to mix therewith.

An important object of our invention is to obviate this difficulty. In this connection we are aware that various forms of apparatus have been before devised in which the products of combustion that are allowed to escape while blowing uphave been caused to heat a retort or chamber preparatory to the introduction of hydrocarbon liquid thereinto, which is done as soon as decomposition is commenced. We are not, however, aware that liquid hydrocarbon has ever been vaporized by the heat of the products of combustion while blowing up and then stored, so that when steam is first turned on a large volume of vapor is available to add to the great volume of gas then produced; and our invention also includes an improvement in the method of generating gas by the decomposition of steam and the addition of hydrocarbon vapor, consisting in vaporizing hydrocarbon by the heat of the products of combustion while blowing up the fires, in storing or holding such vapor in reserve, and in supplying the volume of vapor thus held in reserve to the products of decomposition when steam is first turned on after blowing up.

Theinvention also includes the combination, with a generating-furnace, its air and steam supply pipes, and a fixing furnace and chamber independent of the generating-furnace, of a conduit for the passage of the products of decomposition from the generating-furnace to the fixingfurnace, a carburetor in said conduit, and a valve for allowing the products of combustion to escape when blowing up the generating or fixing furnace or both.

The invention also consists in other combinations of parts and details of construction claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation partly in section.

spending parts in the several figures.

In many features of its construction the double-chambered generatingfurnace here chosen for the purpose of illustrating our invention is similar'to that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 284,776, dated September 11', 1883, to William H. Taylor.

A A designate two chambers, which are formed by a suitable furnace structure, B, of brick-work or other material, inelosed in a metal shell or casing, B, and the said chambers are separated for the principal part of their'height by a partition or wall, B overthe top of which the chambers are in uninterrupted communication. The two chambers A A have in them separate grates a a, below which are separate doors I) b for removing ashes, and separate conduits or pipes o c. for the escape of the products of combustion ordecomposition. The two chambers A A are provided with suitable feeding apertures or mouths,A*, closed by suitable covers or lids, and through which fuel is introduced into the chambers A A in quantities as desired.

0 designates a fixing furnace and chamber 'formed by a structure of brick or other material, O, and an inclosing shell or casing, 0 the whole being independent of the generatingfurnace. In the fixing furnace and chamber is a grate, d, and below the grate are a door, (1, for the removal of ashes, and a conduit, 02', for the passage of the fixed gas to the hydraulic main. Fuel in quantities as desired is fed into the fixing-furnace 0 through an opening or feeding-mouth, 0*, in the .top thereof, the

' or lid secured in any suitable manner.

As here represented, the grates a a d of the generating and fixing furnaces A A C are supported by pipes 6, two of which are shown for each grate, and which are connected by line-pipes e, and the system of pipes e c is supplied with air through a supply-pipe, 6 from a fan-blower or other suitable source of supply, which forms no part of our invention, and is therefore not shown. pipes e are valves 6*, whereby the passage of air to the pipes e, supporting the grate in any one of the furnaces or chambers, may be controlled. The pipes e, which are below the grates a a d, and which in this example of our invention support the sand grates, are

fi nely perforated, and by supplying air through hereinafter described, and pointed out in the Fig. 3 is a. horizontal section thereof, and

Similar letters of referencedesignate corre- IIO said opening being closed by a suitable cover Y In the line of them the fuel upon the grates or any one of them may be quickly blown up to a high heat or to a state of incandescence.

We may supply steam to be decomposed through any suitable system of pipes; but, as here shown, we supply steam through the perforated air-pipes e, and to provide for this we connect the portions of pipe 0 adjacent to the pipes e by a steam-pipef, in. which are valves, f, as shown best in Fig. 4, and which is supplied with steam by a pipe, f*, from any suitably-arranged boiler.

The outlet or delivery openings or connections 0 0 from the two generating-chambers A A may be connected with the fixingchamber 0 by any suitable arrangement of pipes or conduits; but we now deem the arrangement andcombination here shown to be most desirable; and this feature of our invention is best illustrated in Fig. 4, but is also shown in other figures. The said outlet connections 0 c from the two generatin chambers A A are formed with upwardlypresented nozzles, on which are' securely mounted valve-boxes D D, connected by a conduit section or T.-piece, D", from which a pipe or conduit, D, extends upward, and said pipe D is surmounted by a valvebox, D, from which an escape-pipe, D leads to the atmosphere. From the vertical pipe D below the valve-box D, a pipe or conduit, D, leads to the fixing-chamber G, and enters the same near the top or above the grate d. The delivery opening or connection 61 leads from the fixing-furnace O at'a point below the grate to ahydraulic main, E, and from this main the fixed or permanent gas is taken by-a pipe or conduit, E. The vertical pipe or conduit D* is shown as somewhat larger in size, and forms the casing of the carburetor, the heat for vaporizing liquid hydrocarbon being furnished by the products of combustion or decomposition passing upward through the said pipe and casing. The construction of the carburetor here shown will soon be described. v

The valves in the valve-boxes D D D may be of any suitable kind or construction; but those here shown we deem very desirable. In each box is placed a ring or annular seat, 9, of soapstone, which rests on ashoulder formed in the box; and the valve 9 is also made of soapstone and closes on'said seat. \Ve employ soapstone, as that material will stand the high heat resulting from the use of the apparatus, and will be more durable than metal. The valves 9 are operated by levers g fulcrumed at and the levers for operating the valves in the boxes D D are shown as provided with props 9 whereby the valves may be held open when desired.

The carburetor shell or casing D in this example of our invention contains a number of closed chambers, h, which may be of cast metal or other suitable material, and which are connected and in communication with each other by short tubes or pipes 71, which are arranged out of line with each other, as shown. The naphtha or other liquid hydrocarbon employed is admitted'to the uppermost chamber or box h of the series by a pipe, i, which may be supplied from an elevated reservoir or by a pump, and in which is a valve, i*, for controlling the supply to the carburetor. The connecting-tubes h leading downward from the several chambers each projects slightly above the bottom of the chamber which it enters, and consequently a small quantity of liquid will accumulate in the bottom of each chamber before overflowing into the chamber next below. The liquid entering the system ofchambers will nearly or quiteall be vaporized by the heat to which itissubjected before reaching the bottom chamber; but to prevent an accumulation of liquid in the bottom chamber h we connect therewith a drip-pipe, 'i, in which is a valve, 2'". The vapor generated in the several chambers h passes upward through the tubesor pipes h and the superposed chamber, and in the upper chamber h is a valve, h", which may be operated from the exterior of the shell or casing D to control the escape of hydrocarbon vapor from the chambers h into the shell-or casing D*.

After blowing up,and when gas or products of decomposition are passing upward through the pipe D the valve h is to be opened,thereby allowing the hydrocarbon vapor to escape into the shell or I casing D to mingle with and enrich the gas or products of decomposition; but-while blowing up the shell and pipe D D* are filled with products of combustion, and the valve h" is then closed to prevent the escape and loss of hydrocarbon vapor. A large volume of vapor will, however, be generated by the hot products of combustion while blowing up, and to save and utilize this vapor we conduct it by a pipe, *6, to a reservoir or storage-tank, F, arranged in any suitable location and of suitable size, and in this way we generate and store a reserve supply of naphtha vapor while blowing up which is sufficient to enrich the large volume of gas or products of decomposition generated when steam is first turned on. up is completed and steam is supplied to one or other of the generating-chambers the outlet-valve h for hydrocarbon vapor is opened and the reserve supply stored under a pressure in the tank or reservoir F escapes into the casing and pipe D* D and combines with the As soon as blowing highly-heated productsof decomposition. Any

liquid resulting from condensation in the tank Fwill return to the pipe i through the pipe 01".

The operation of our apparatus will bevery.

easily understood.

In starting the apparatus both generatingchambers and thefixi ng-chamber O are charged with coal and the fires are lighted. The valves in the boxes or casings D D D are all opened and the valves 6* in the air-supply pipes e are also opened. The air-blast escaping from the perforated pipes e upward through the fires in the several chambers or furnaces will soon blow them up to a white or decomposing heat, whereupon the blowing up is stopped and the valves 6* and D are closed. Supposethat the generating-chamber A is selected for use in decomposing steam, the valve in the box D corresponding to that chamber is closed, (the valve in the box D being left open,) and the proper valve'f is opened to admit steam through the perforated pipes e and upward through the fire on the grate a and into the chamber A. From the chamber A the products of decomposition,which are carbonic acid and hydrogen, pass over the partition-wall 13* downward through the fire on the grate a in the chamber A, whereby they take up another equivalent of carbon and, become carbonic oxide and hydrogen, thence out at 0 through the carburetor shell or casing D*, where they are enriched by the addition. of hydrocarbon vapor. The enriched gas thence passes through the pipe D to the fixing-chamber 0, down through the bed of incandescent fuel on the grate (1 thereof, whereby the hydrocarbon vapor is converted into a fixed or permanent gas, and thence to the hydraulic main E.

When, by the supply of steam to the chamber A, the generating-fires become dead, so as to be no longer suitable for decomposition, the fire in the chamber A is blown up, and then, the valve in the box D being closed and the valve in the box D being open, the valve f corresponding to the chamber D is opened and steam admitted to that chamber, the pro ducts passing from thence, as will be understood, through the fire in the chamber A, and finally to and through the fixing-chamber G, as before described.

The fire in the fixing-chamber G will not need to be blown up as frequently as the fires in the generating furnace or chambers, but is blown up with or at the same time as one of said generatingchambers, when necessary.

The carburetor above described may not be sufficient to supply the hydrocarbon vapor necessary, and to supplement its operation we may arrange a carburetor in the partition Wall 13*, as here shown. A pipe or tube, Z, is arranged horizontally in said wall,an.d is closed at one end and connected at the other end with the pipe D. A branch pipe, 2' provided with a valve, 1;, is extended length wise of the tube or retort nearly to the front end thereof, and the liquid from the pipe 1* becomes vaporized in the pipe or tube Z and delivered into the pipe D.

By employing a fixing-furnace which performs no other function than to fix the hydrocarbon vapor and produce a permanent gas from the mingled products of decomposi tion and hydrocarbon vapor, and arranging the generating-furnace and fixing-furnace so that either may be blown up independently of and without affecting the other,we are enabled to maintain each at or near the temperature most desirable and produce a more uniform quality of gas. We also secure whatever advantages result from fixing the vapor by passing the commingled gas and vapor through incandescent fuel, as is done in theapparatus shown and described in the Pierson patent hereinbefore referred to.

To facilitate the maintenance of a proper and even temperature in the fixing-chamber O, a pyrometer, 7', may be connected therewith,and the quality of the gas is determined by a photometer, 75, connected by a pipe, k, with the gaspipeE leading from the hydraulic main E,

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improvement in the method of making gas, consisting in decomposing steam by passing it through incandescent fuel,in adding hydrocarbon vapor to the gas thus produced, in fixing the vapor by passing thecommingled gas and vapor through incandescentfuel, and in maintaining the heat of the bodies of fuel by which the gas is generated and fixed by fires which are controlled independently of each other,and either of which maybe blown up without affecting the heat of the other, substantially as herein described.

2; The combination, with a double-chambered generating-furnace containing separate grates and pipes for supplying air thereto for blowing up and steam for decomposition, the two chambers of the furnace being adapted to be blown up alternatively, of a fixingfurnace and pipes for supplying air for blowing up the fixing-furnace independently of and without affecting the heat of the generatingfurnace, and pipes whereby the gas generated by the decomposition of steam in either chamber of the generatingfurnace, together with hydrocarbon vapor, may be conducted to and caused to pass through the fuel in the fixingfurnace, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a double-chambered generatingfurnace containing separate grates and pipes for supplying air thereto for blowing up and steam for decomposition, delivery connections each containing a valve and arranged between the generating-chambers and a main conduit or pipe, air-escape valve for the products of combustion when blowing up, a fixing-chamber provided with pipes to admit air for blowing up, and a pipe or conduit connecting said fixing-chamber with the main conduit below the escape-valve, substantially as herein described. 4. The combination, with a double-chambered generating-furnace provided with pipes to admit air forblowing up and steam for decomposition, and a fixing-furnace also provided with pipes to supply air for blowing up, of the valve-boxes D D and their valves, the connection D and pipe D, the escape-valve D, and apipe, D, leading from the pipe D, below the escape-valve to the fixing-chamber, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with a double-chain bered generating-furnace, and a fixing furnace and chamber independent of the generating furnace, of the perforated pipes e, the air-supply pipes 6', provided withvalves whereby air may be admitted to either chamber of the generating-furnace and the fixing-furnace, valves and pipes for controlling communication between the chambers of the generating-furnace and the fixing-furnace, and a valve common to both furnaces and serving for the escape of products of combustion, substantially as herein described.

6. The improvement in the method of making gas by the decomposition of steam and the addition thereto of hydrocarbon vapor, consisting in vaporizing hydrocarbon by the heat of the products of combustion while blowing up the fires, in storing or holding such vapor in reserve, and in supplying the volume of vapor so stored to the products of decomposition when the steam is first turned on after blowing up, substantially as herein described.

7 The combination, with a generating-furnace and pipes for supplying thereto air for blowing up and steam for decomposition, an escape-pipe, and a valve providing for the delivery of theproducts of combustion, and decomposition, a carburetor exposed to the heat of the products of both combustion and decomposition, and a storage reservoir or chamber in which hydrocarbon vapor, produced while blowing up, is stored, and from which vapor is supplied during decomposition, substantially as herein described.

8. The combination, with a generating-furnace and pipes for supplying air for blowing up and steam for decomposition, of a pipe through which the products of decomposition pass from the furnace, and a carburetor arranged in said pipe, and consisting of a casing and a tier of chambers, h, contained therein for receivingliquid hydrocarbon,and connected by tubes h, a pipe for supplying liquid to said chambers h, and a delivery-opening for discharging vapor into the firstmentioned pipe to mingle with the products of decomposition, substantially as herein described.

9. The combination, with a double-chambered generating-furnace and pipes for supplying air and steam thereto, of the pipe D common to both generating -chambers, and valves controlling its communication with the generating chambers, a carburetor arranged in said pipe, a valve for controlling thedelivery of vapor from the carburetor into the pipe, and a storagereservoir for vapor connected with the carburetor, substantially as herein described.

' 10. The combination,withthedouble-chambered generatingfurnace containing two grates and a separating partition-wall, of a pipe common to both chambers for conducting away products of decomposition, and

.valves controlling the communication between said two chambers and said pipe, a carburetor arranged in said pipe, a supplemental carburetor arranged in the said partition-wall, and pipes for supplying naphtha to both said carburetors, substantially as herein described.

CHAS. W. ISBELL. WILLIAM H. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

C. HALL, FREDK. HAYNES.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 322,608.

"should he read in the Letters Patent, that the It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 322,608, granted July 21, 1885, upon the application of Charles Isbell and William H. Taylor, of New York, New' York, for an improvement in the Method of and Apparatus for Generating Gas, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 114, page 4, the compound word Fair-escape should be read an escape and that this correction same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 4th day of August, A. D. 1885.

[SEAL-1 G. A. JENKS,

Acting Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned M. V. lVION'lGOMERY,

Commissioner of Patents. 

